Task Force Powderhorn Guardsmen return from mission

102nd Intelligence Wing Airmen supporting Task Force Powderhorn, returned to their Cape Cod base to begin the process of returning from this important operation on March 17, 2022. The Powderhorn mission provided non-clinical support to hospitals around the Commonwealth that have seen staffing shortages during the COVID-19 fight. Nearly 1,000 Army and Air Guard personnel have been supporting the needs of hospitals and transportation systems across Massachusetts. Guard members have supported more than 60 acute care hospitals, as well as 13 ambulance service providers across all five of the Commonwealth's Emergency Medical Service Regions. During a visit with the returning forces, Brig. Gen. Virginia Gaglio, Chief of Staff and Air Component Commander of the Massachusetts National Guard, recognized several for going above and beyond expectations. "Preserving life and helping people in pain - that is inherently a Guardsman thing," said Gaglio. "Thank you for what you did." During states' emergencies, the National Guard is the first military responder to support civil authorities and facilitate a unified, speedy response. On any given day, thousands of Guard members conduct operations here in the U.S. In the case of Task Force Powderhorn, Massachusetts National Guardsmen were critical in ensuring medical facilities never missed a beat and continued to provide important services to the Commonwealth and the patients they cared for. "It's been a long two years," said Gaglio. "You really have been a part of an historic time in history when National Guardsmen have stood up."